The Heart Behind LilTuki
A Love Letter to a Legendary Yorkie
Before LilTuki was a website, a shop, or a place for custom pet portraits, it was a love story.
It began with a tiny Yorkie named Tuki — a little black and tan soul who changed our lives forever.
November 17, 2007
A beautiful light came into the world.
On November 17th, 2007, a beautiful light was given to this world in the form of a tiny little Yorkie named Tuki.
In March of 2008, my husband Rick and I took a journey across Puget Sound on the Edmonds-Kingston ferry to meet him. We thought we were picking up a puppy. We had no idea we were about to receive one of the greatest gifts our lives would ever know.
When we stepped off the ferry, a humble woman was sitting on a bench holding what looked like a small baby wrapped in a blue blanket. When we asked if she was the breeder, she simply smiled, stood up, and handed me the bundle.
“Here’s your new baby.”
I held him in my arms, looked at Rick, and said, “Pay the woman.”
The ride home
The smallest little passenger changed everything.
On the ferry ride back across Puget Sound to our home in Sultan, that poor little baby wrapped in blue became motion sick more times than any tiny creature should have been able to manage.
When we finally arrived home, I had a small bed waiting for him in my office, along with a teddy bear Rick had given me on our first date.
Tuki ran straight into that little bed, leaned against the teddy bear, and from that moment on, our lives were forever changed.
A life full of wonder
He became part of everything.
Through hikes, kayaking journeys, forest walks, and quiet days in the Great Pacific Northwest near Sultan, Washington, Tuki became more than our dog.
He became loved by friends, neighbors, and strangers who met him along the way. There was something special about him — something people could feel.
He had the most tenacious little attitude, wrapped inside the biggest heart. One smile from him could soften even the hardest day.
My little Pinocchio
He was my best friend, my shadow, and my light.
Over the years, Tuki became my best friend. My little boy. My Pinocchio.
I gave him that nickname because somewhere deep down, I believed he was more than a dog. I used to imagine that one day he would become a real little boy. In many ways, he did.
Tuki knew me inside and out — probably better than I knew myself. When I went through hard times, he stayed beside me like a shadow. He never let sadness or anxiety have the final word.
His little strut, his wiggle butt, his stubborn Yorkie attitude, and his giant heart had a way of bringing me back to life.
Seventeen years of love
For 17 years, we held love wrapped in black and tan Yorkie-tude.
We watched him grow from a vibrant young pup into a wise little man. His black and tan coat slowly turned lighter, softer, and touched with gray, but his spirit never seemed to fade.
In November of 2024, the years began to catch up with my little Tuki. He had lost his sight and hearing, but his appetite and his will were still very much his own.
On Thanksgiving of 2024, he lost his balance and fell into his water bowl. We knew he had anxiety from being blind and deaf, but this felt different.
Within a week, we faced the decision every pet parent dreads. The vet told us his cataracts, weight, hernia, and declining cognition had become too much for his little body.
That day, we had to say goodbye.
My heart, my soul, and my breath felt like they left with him in that moment.
A garden full of love
Once again, I wrapped my little boy in a blanket.
Just as he came into my arms wrapped in a blanket, I wrapped him once more and brought him home.
Rick made him a beautiful resting place in our garden, surrounded by wildflowers, hummingbirds, butterflies, and the sound of cascading water.
It is peaceful there. Soft. Full of life. A place worthy of the little soul who gave us so much of it.
Why LilTuki exists
This site is a love letter.
LilTuki.com is dedicated to the best little thing this world has ever seen.
Every art piece, every story, every custom portrait, and every keepsake begins with him. Tuki is the reason this place exists.
Through LilTuki, we celebrate the pets who become family, the companions who carry us through hard seasons, and the little souls who leave behind a love much bigger than their size.
If you love a Yorkie, have loved a Yorkie, or have ever known the kind of pet who felt like part of your heart walking around outside your body, then this place was made with you in mind.
In loving memory of Tuki
Thank you for being here.
We hope you enjoy the stories, artwork, memories, and little pieces of love shared through LilTuki.
This is where Tuki’s story continues — through art, through memory, and through every pet loved deeply enough to become legendary.